THE SAVVY SENIOR • DECEMBER 2012 • PAGE 3
Computer brain games that help you stay sharp
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Cognifit offers around 20 games for free, or you can pay $4.95 for each of their two advanced games for memory and concentration training. SOFTWARE PRODUCTS In addition to the websites, there are also a number of computer software brain-training products that you can purchase and use on your home computer. Some of the best are made by Posit Science (positscience.com, 866-599-6463), which sells three types of brain-training software including “Brain Fitness,” which speeds up and sharpens the auditory system of the brain for faster thinking, sharper focus, and better memory; “InSight” which targets visual processing to improve how your brain takes in, reacts to, and remembers what you see; and “DriveSharp” which strengthens the cognitive skills essential for safe driving. All software is available in PC and Mac versions. Posit Science is also currently offering a 50 percent discount on their Brain Fitness and InSight software. You can buy them individually for $197.50, or together for $345. The DriveSharp software costs $89. Another option is the Dakim BrainFitness Software (dakim.com, 800-856-5502) that cost $249
and is designed specifically for adults over 60, as well as for seniors with memory loss. And for noncomputer users, Diakim offers a touch-screen console for $2,349 that’s pre-loaded with BrainFitness software. Just plug it in and your ready to go. NO COMPUTER NEEDED If you don’t want to rely on a computer for playing brain-boosting games, consider electronic games like Brain Age, Brain Age 2 (see brainage.com) and Big Brain Academy (bigbrainacademy.com). Made by Nintendo, these games cost around $20 each, but to play them you’ll need to purchase a hand-held Nintendo DS Lite game unit which runs around $100. You can buy these products online at amazon.com or at retail chains like Walmart, Target and BestBuy. There are also dozens of mind-challenging books and puzzles on the market that can help too, such as: “Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises” by Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin; “The Big Book of Mind Bending Puzzels” by Terry Stickels; and “The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fit ness” by Alvaro Fernandez and Elkhonon Goldberg (see sharpbrains.com). Check your local book store, or visit amazon.com to find them.
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According to a 2011 Associated Press poll, the No. 1 concern among baby boomers as they move into their senior years is cognitive decline. If you’re concerned about staying mentally sharp as you age, there are a handful of great brain-training websites and computer software products available today that are backed by research and proven to help boomers and seniors improve their memory, slow age-related mental decline and even build a stronger brain. But there’s no evidence that these games will prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Here are the best options to consider. WEB WORKOUTS If you’re interested in exercising your brain for little or no cost, brain-training websites are the best way to go. While there are many sites that offer games that claim to sharpen the mind, the most valid and highly rated one is Lumosity.com who currently boasts around 20 million users. Developed by neuroscience researchers from Stanford, McGill University and UC San Francisco, Lumosity offers over 35 games and exercises aimed at increasing alertness, sharpening memory skills, improving concentration and thinking faster. The games are fun and engaging, and in each game, as your skill improves, the tasks become progressively more difficult to keep you challenged. The costs: $14.95 a month or about $80 for a one-year subscription. Lumosity even offers mobile apps for smart phone users so you can train wherever you are. Another good site to check out (but not the quality of Lumosity) is Cognifit.com. This site starts with a brain fitness assessment that lets you know exactly where your stronger areas are and where you could use some extra training. It measures skills like contextual memory, response time and hand-eye coordination and provides a personalized set of games to sharpen your skills.